8
Notornis, 2008, Vol. 55: 8-19
0029-4470 © The Ornithological Society of New Zealand, Inc.
The Birds of Nauru
DONALD W. BUDEN
Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, College of Micronesia-FSM, P.O. Box 159, Kolonia, Pohnpei,
Federated States of Micronesia 96941.
[email protected]
Abstract: Thirty-four species of birds are recorded from the isolated Pacific island of Nauru. Six are treated as
hypothetical pending corroboration; 3 others are introductions. Eighteen of the 25 indigenous species are non-breeding
visitors (mainly migrating seabirds and shorebirds). The 7 confirmed or probable resident breeders include only 2 land
birds, the Micronesian pigeon (Ducula oceanica) and the endemic Nauru reed-warbler (Acrocephalus rehsei). The Australian
pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus) and white-winged tern (Chlidonias leucopterus) are reported as first records for Nauru.
Hunting pressure and habitat degradation have contributed to reduced numbers of the Micronesian pigeon and the
once abundant black noddy (Anous minutus), but the Nauru reed-warbler occurs commonly in degraded and modified
habitats. Second-stage mining to recover phosphate deposits will likely reduce available habitat further for all resident
breeding species, although land restoration is also planned. Bird band recoveries indicate that many seabirds, especially
black noddies, reach Nauru thousands of kilometres from where they were fledged, but to what extent they are recruited
into the local breeding population is unknown.
Buden, D.W. 2008. The birds of Nauru. Notornis 55(1): 8-19
Keywords birdlife; distribution; Micronesia; Nauru; Pacific Ocean; band recoveries
INTRODUCTION
Little is known of the birds of Nauru, a small,
single-island republic in the western Pacific Ocean
(Fig. 1). The avifauna has never been reviewed
systematically, and the ornithological literature
is limited to a scattering of older and briefly
annotated locality records that have been restated
in secondary lists, in some cases with additional
but unsubstantiated records. The present study
furnishes an annotated list of all the species recorded
on Nauru, and is based on personal observations,
gleanings from the literature, conversations with
resident islanders, and information from specimen
labels and catalogues; locality records that could
not be traced to a primary, first-hand source are
treated as hypothetical.
Ornithological history
The first naturalist to have visited Nauru appears to
have been Otto Finsch, who spent 6 hours ashore on
24 Jul 1880 while en route to the Solomon Islands
from the Marshall Islands. Finsch (1881) remarked
briefly on the 5 species he observed, including a
reed-warbler that he initially reported as Calamoherpe
syrinx, and which he (Finsch 1883) later described
as a new species, C. rehsei (= Acrocephalus rehsei),
endemic to Nauru.
Received 20 March 2008; accepted 27 June 2008
Ludwig Kaiser, a District Officer in the German
Administration on Nauru from 1898 to 1906,
provided information on plumage colour and
measurements of 16 specimens of 12 species that
he collected on Nauru in 1900 (Kaiser 1902). This
collection (in the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin
[ZMB]), and its little known associated publication
(Kaiser 1902), have been largely overlooked
until now. Frahnert & Buden (in press) provide a
taxonomically updated account of this material
along with collection dates and additional notes
from specimen labels. North (1903) reported briefly
on 5 fluid-preserved specimens of 4 species (but
no new records) obtained by F. D. Power and A.
E. Stephen on unspecified dates (specimens in the
Australian Museum).
Father Alois Kayser, a Roman Catholic
missionary, arrived on Nauru in 1904 and spent
nearly 40 years on the island. He wrote extensively
on Naruan life, including on the importance of
frigatebirds (Fregata spp.) and noddies (Anous spp.)
in Naruan culture and tradition (Kayser 2005-originally published in German, 1921-1924). Ernest
Stephen, who spent most of his life on Nauru after
being marooned during the 1870s, also commented
on birds (Stephen 1936), but his use of colloquial
names and vague descriptions makes it difficult
to determine many of the species to which he was
referring. His notes were written around 1902 or
Birds of Nauru
1903, and were published posthumously (C. H.
Wedgwood in Stephen 1936). Paul Hambruch spent
6 weeks on Nauru in 1910 as a member of the German
South Seas Expedition 1908-1910, focusing largely
on ethnography. In the faunal sections of his twovolume expedition report, Hambruch (1914, 1915)
mentions most of the species recorded previously
along with highly questionable records of a rail
(ralle), honeyeater (honigsauger), and a flycatcher
(fliegenschnäpper) of the genus Rhipidura, none of
which is mentioned in any other source.
More recently, Pearson (1962) provided an
annotated list of at least 16 species (18 if 2 species
of Fregata and tattlers [Tringa brevipes and T. incana]
were present) that he observed from January to
July and 1 to 6 November 1961. His Nauru list was
published in the same paper with his list of birds
from Ocean Island and some of the latter records
possibly were erroneously incorporated into Nauru
bird lists by other authors, accounting in part for
some otherwise unverifiable Nauru records. Owen’s
(1977) checklist of the birds of Micronesia lists 15
species for Nauru and is based almost entirely on
Pearson’s Nauru list. It excludes Pearson’s records
of an introduced finch and Heteroscles sp., and
includes the addition of Puffinus lherminieri, citing
Baker (1951) as a source. King (1967) provided a
list of seabirds under the heading “Gilbert Islands
including Ocean and Nauru Islands” but did not
specify which records pertained to Nauru. Likewise,
Garnett (1984), reporting on the distribution and
status of seabirds in the South Pacific, treated Nauru
and the Gilbert Islands together. These 2 articles also
may account for some of the otherwise unverifiable
Nauru locality records in more recently published
lists, including Pratt et al. (1987) and online lists
such as Avibase (Lepage 2007), Birds of the Pacific: a
Birder’s Checklist (Silcock 2007), and the Bird Data
Project (Penhallurick 2007).
There have been no first hand survey reports
of birds on Nauru since at least the early 1990s.
BirdLife International (2007a) cited “B. Fletcher (in
litt. 1995)” on the status of Acrocephalus rehsei, and
a few other papers have commented on the status
of some Nauru birds, including bird band recovery
records. In this paper, I review the status of birds
on Nauru, with a view to updating information on
their distribution and abundance, and consolidating
information obtained from a scattering of often
obscure references.
METHODS
Study Area
Nauru is a small (21 km2), raised atoll in the
west-central Pacific Ocean (0�32’S, 166�56’E),
approximately 2,100 km northeast of New Guinea;
the nearest land is Ocean Island (Banaba), 300 km
9
to the east. The climate is equatorial; the average
monthly temperature ranges from 27� to 29�C, and
the average annual rainfall is about 2,000 mm, with
the wettest months being Dec to Apr. A 100-300
m-wide, semi-fertile coastal belt abuts a steep scarp
that rises to approximately 30-40 m in most areas to
form the edge of a central plateau, with a maximum
elevation of 72 m. Approximately 10,000 islanders
reside on Nauru, mainly along the coast and in
a small settlement centered about the brackish
Buada Lagoon in a low area of the plateau in the
southwest part of the island. The coastal vegetation
consists largely of strand, scrub, scattered coconut
trees, and a variety of ornamentals and fruit trees.
Much of the soil and the natural vegetation of
the plateau have been stripped away during the
mining of phosphate, leaving a largely barren
landscape of coral limestone pinnacles rising 4-8
m, with some regenerating scrub, including both
indigenous and exotic species. Manner et al. (1984)
remarked that “although exotic ruderals are the
initial colonizers of abandoned mined sites, they are
rapidly displaced by indigenous species.” Pockets
of older, residual forest dominated by tomano trees
(Calophyllum inophyllum) and strangler fig (Ficus
prolixa) are found mainly on the gentler slopes of
the scarp and at its base. In describing the impact
of human activities on the environment of Nauru,
Thaman (1992) stated “long habitation; almost a
century of open-cast phosphate mining; continuous
bombing, destruction, and displacement of the
people during World War II; rapid urbanization;
and the abandonment of agriculture and subsistence
activities on Nauru have arguably produced one of
the most severely modified natural and cultural
floras on earth.” Further descriptions of the
physiognomy and vegetation of Nauru are provided
by Manner et al. (1984), Thaman et al. (1994), and
Morrison & Manner (2005).
Potential predators include introduced dogs
(Canis familiaris) and cats (Felis catus), some now
feral, and rats (Rattus exulans and R. tanezumi).
Data collection and analysis
Only records from the island and its inshore waters
are included; no attempt was made to include records
at sea within the limits of the Nauru territorial
waters (12 nm) or exclusive economic zone (200 nm).
Field observations were made during 12-25 Dec
2006 and 29 Mar to 5 Apr 2007. Acrocephalus rehsei
survey counts were made by recording all birds
seen or heard calling during walks along roads and
trails for unpredetermined distances measured by
GPS tracking, and within an estimated 50-m wide
zone. Shorebird surveys were done by counting
all identified birds encountered during walks
along beaches at low tide. Terms of abundance are:
common (more than 15 sightings per day), fairly
10
Buden
Fig. 1. Location map for Nauru and
surrounding islands; B = Banaba (=
Ocean Island), C = Chuuk, K = Kosrae,
P = Pohnpei, Kir = Kiribati, Mar = Marshall Islands, Van = Vanuatu, PNG =
Papua New Guinea.
common (5-15 sightings on most days), uncommon
(fewer than 5 sightings per day and unrecorded
on some days), scarce (observed occasionally and
known only from few records, but not unexpected).
Terms of status are: resident (present year-round
and breeding confirmed or very probable), nonbreeding visitor (passage migrant or non-breeding
season visitor, some birds present throughout the
year, but not breeding), vagrant (unexpected visitor
and recorded only once or twice), and hypothetical
(a record in need of corroboration).
All but 2 of the bird band recovery records
are from the files of the Bird Banding Laboratory
(BBL), Laurel, Maryland; the 2 exceptions are from
literature sources. Names of banding locations were
determined by using Google Earth and MapQuest
online programs with the decimal coordinates
provided by BBL. Birds recorded as BBL age class
4, defined as “local” and “young incapable of
sustained flight” in the BBL online manual, are
referred to here as flightless young.
Nomenclature
Scientific names and English names follow Clements
(2007) unless indicated otherwise. Naruan names
given immediately after the English name at the head
of each species account, if available, are from Cain et
al. (1997), except in the case of ederakui, a local name
used by Kayser (2005) for a bird fitting the description
of Audubon’s shearwater (Puffinus lherminieri).
SPECIES ACCOUNTS
Audubon’s
shearwater,
Ederakui
(Puffinus
lherminieri), probably extirpated. Murphy (1927)
remarked on “specimens [of P. lherminieri dichrous]
in the Berlin Museum from Nauru and the Pelews.”
His Nauru material probably consisted of the 1
specimen collected by Kaiser (Kaiser 1902; Frahnert
& Buden in press); I know of no others. Kayser
(2005) described the “ederakui” as a shy night bird
that lives in deep, narrow caves in cliffs during the
day, searches for food at sea at night, has a peculiar
cry e-de-ra-kui, e-de-ra-kui, for which it is named,
and that it makes a running start from outside its
lair before taking off. Almost certainly the ederakui
is this species. Kayser (2005) stated that the bird
is caught for “sport and fun,” but it is not eaten
because “the meat tastes very oily.” Hambruch
(1914) listed the ederakui as one of 2 species of
“Movarten (Sterna)” on Nauru. Pearson (1962) did
not encounter any shearwaters on Nauru during his
6 months on the island, but he heard them calling at
night in mid-July on Banaba Island. I neither saw
nor heard shearwaters during my visits and none
of the Naruans I queried were familiar with a bird
having such characteristics, or having the name
ederakui.
Red-tailed tropicbird (Phaethon rubricauda),
hypothetical. Pratt et al. (1987), Cain et al. (1997),
Lepage (2007), Penhallurick (2007), and Silcock
(2007) recorded the red-tailed tropicbird as occurring
in Nauru, but did not cite the original source. Its
inclusion in these lists possibly stems from earlier
reports that combined records from Nauru and
the Gilbert Islands (e.g. King 1967; Garnett 1984),
or from Pearson (1962) who recorded it on Ocean
Island, but not on Nauru. This species may occur
on Nauru from time to time, but the record needs
corroboration.
Birds of Nauru
White-tailed tropicbird, Dedage (Phaethon lepturus),
scarce or uncommon and probably resident,
breeding not confirmed. Pearson (1962) observed
white-tailed tropicbirds regularly in ones and twos,
some flying into holes in the more inaccessible areas
of the cliffs, possibly nesting. I saw none during my
visits but many islanders told me of seeing tropic
birds in the vicinity of the cliffs.
Australian pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus),
vagrant. Pratt et al. (1987) remarked that the
Australian pelican breeds throughout Australia
and disperses widely and in large numbers during
droughts, reaching Palau and Fiji among the
islands of the tropical Pacific; there are several
records for the Solomon Islands immediately to the
southwest of Nauru (Cain & Galbraith 1956). An
Australian Pelican was observed on Nauru, first on
29 Aug 2002, and over a period of several days was
resident at Buada Lagoon (Anonymous 2002, with
accompanying photograph). This is a first record of
P. conspicillatus for Nauru and an extralimital record
for Micronesia. I was told the bird was caught and
held in captivity for a time.
Red-footed booby (Sula sula), vagrant. One study
skin of a red-footed booby in the Museum für
Naturkunde Berlin and collected by Ludwig Kaiser
on 3 Mar 1900 is the only record for Nauru (Kaiser
1902; Frahnert & Buden in press).
Brown booby, Gogora (Sula leucogaster), probably
an uncommon non-breeeding visitor. A brown
booby banded at Johnston Atoll, and another at
Moku Manu, Hawaii were recovered on Nauru
(Table 1). Pearson (1962) observed groups of up to
12 brown boobies (including juveniles) regularly on
the southeastern side of the island, but found no
evidence of nesting. I saw no S. leucogaster during
my visits.
Great frigatebird, Itsi (Fregata minor) and lesser
frigatebird, Itsi (F. ariel), non-breeding visitors.
Much has been written about the importance of
frigatebirds in Naruan culture and tradition (e.g.
Finsch 1881; Stephen 1936; Earle 1941; Garnett 1987a,
b). Kayser (2005) devoted more than 27 pages to this
subject, and Earle (1941:20) wrote that “from time
immemorial it has been the ambition of every youth
to excel in the snaring of the “iti” or frigatebird [and
that] in the old far-off days, before the coming of the
white man, prowess in capture of the iti was one of
the many strenuous tests which marked transition
from youth into manhood, and failure to acquit
oneself creditably meant disgrace.” He went on to
say that “this aspect of the sport has now been lost;
it is now a harmless pastime for men of leisure….”
Garnett (1987a) stated “the sport called Ibon Itsi is
a competition between two groups of men who,
two or three times a year, spend about a week to
11
catch as many frigate-birds as possible.” I observed
numerous birds in captivity, some in cages and
others trained to occupy roosts constructed along
the beaches, but saw no games, and only a few
wild birds in flight. Birds typically are captured by
slinging the weighted end of a coil of line in front
of an approaching bird attracted to previously
captured birds used as decoys. In a successful toss,
the line becomes entangled about the bird’s wing
and bringing it to ground.
Two species of frigatebirds are recorded from
Nauru, both as non-breeding visitors: the great
frigatebird, F. minor is scarce or uncommon, whereas
the lesser frigatebird, F. ariel, although uncommon,
is more numerous. The 2 species are sometimes
difficult to distinguish in the field and sight records
are not always reliable. The 49 I counted in cages
and on roosts on beaches on 31 Mar 2007 appeared
to be F. ariel, and mainly young birds. I saw none
that I could positively identify as F. minor. One
resident told me that some birds are painted black
to make them more attractive as decoys. Pearson
(1962) reported that frigatebirds (unidentified to
species) “sometimes appear in large flocks, as when
a flock of 30-40 appeared on 10 Mar [1961].” Five of
the 6 band recoveries of frigatebirds I obtained for
Nauru are F. ariel (Table 1), as are the 3 specimens
collected by Kaiser (Kaiser 1902; Frahnert & Buden
in press). Additionally, the somewhat grainy, still
images of a frigatebird taken from a Cousteau
Society film (Nauru: the island planet) produced in
1992 are very probably first year F. ariel (D. James,
pers. comm.).
Pacific reef heron, Gogora (Egretta sacra), scarce,
breeding status uncertain. The “white crane” and
“blue crane” mentioned by Stephen (1936) probably
are two different colour morphs of this species.
Finsch (1881) expressed surprise at not encountering
this species on Nauru, inasmuch as he saw it on
most of the other islands he visited. Pearson (1962)
saw only 6 in 6 months, all dark phase. I saw none.
Feral fowl (domestic fowl), Domo (Gallus gallus),
introduced. Fowl are common throughout the
coastal zone and roam freely in and around the
settlements. I saw and heard only two or three feral
fowl on the central plateau. The time of the initial
introduction is unknown. However, as early as
1845, 1 visitor wrote of 8-10 islanders approaching
in canoes and bringing “a few very small fowls,
some cocoa-nuts, and 2 or 3 straw hats” for sale
(Anonymous 1845), the fowls probably being this
species.
Pacific golden plover, Iwyiyi (Pluvialis fulva),
common non-breeding visitor. This species was
first recorded on Nauru by Kaiser and there is a
specimen in the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin
12
Buden
(Kaiser 1902; Frahnert & Buden in press). Pearson
(1962) recorded “about 1000…in the early part of the
year…[and] considerably fewer in June.” I observed
P. fulva on beaches and tidal flats regularly in Dec
and during Mar/Apr), and less frequently in open
areas on the central plateau.
Grey (black-bellied) plover (Pluvialis squatarola),
vagrant. One seen by Pearson (1962) on 2 May 1961
is the only record.
Lesser sandplover (Charadrius mongolus) and greater
sandplover (C. leschenaultii), hypothetical. The
lesser and greater sandplovers both are recorded
from Nauru in several recent checklists (Pratt et al.
1987; Lepage 2007; Penhallurick 2007; Silcock 2007)
but without further details or any indication of the
original source. Both species have been recorded
from the Solomon Islands, immediately to the
southwest (Bull 1948; French 1957; Buckingham
et al. 1995). Both species are likely to occur as
nonbreeding visitors, but I view the records as in
need of corroboration. Several unidentified plovers
I saw at a distance may have included one or both
of these species.
Bar-tailed godwit (Limosa lapponica), hypothetical.
This species is listed for Nauru by Pratt et al.
(1987) and Lepage (2007), but without attribution.
Pearson (1962) recorded it on Ocean Island but not
on Nauru. It has been recorded from the Solomon
Islands immediately to the southwest (e.g. Bull
1948; French 1957; Blaber 1990). I treat the Nauru
record as hypothetical pending confirmation.
Whimbrel, Kiwoiy (Numenius phaeopus), nonbreeding visitor. I observed whimbrels occasionally
in Dec, but none during late Mar and early Apr.
A male N. p. variegatus was collected by Kaiser
on 3 Mar 1900 (Kaiser 1902; Frahnert & Buden in
press). The whimbrel occurs widely throughout
Micronesia during the non-breeding season (Pratt et
al. 1987; Wiles 2005), and is probably more common
on Nauru than the few records indicate. The
subspecies N. p. variegatus breeds in northeastern
Asia and migrates southward to Indo-Australia and
the islands of Oceania (Cramp & Simmons 1983,
Skeel & Mallory 1996).
Bristle-thighed curlew (Numenius tahitiensis), nonbreeding visitor. BirdLife International (2007b)
included Nauru in a long list of oceanic island
localities for the bristle-thighed curlew, and Lepage
(2007) included this species in the Avibase checklist
for Nauru, but no specific source was cited in these
accounts. BirdLife International data files hold no
additional information on this record (S. Butchart
pers. comm.). No records for Nauru were listed
by Owen (1977) or by Pratt et al. (1987) in their
respective checklists for the island. The range map
for this species in Stickney (1943) includes Nauru
within its boundaries, but the island republic is
not included in the accompanying list of locality
records.
The only confirmed record of the bristle-thighed
curlew on Nauru is a male that was 1 of 15 adult
birds satellite-tagged on their breeding grounds in
the Yukon Delta Wildlife Refuge, western Alaska,
in Jun 2007 (United States Geological Survey 2008).
It was recorded last on Nauru on 27 Aug, before
its transmitter went off the air. Of the 11 birds
that were tracked as they left Alaska, beginning
in early Aug 2007, and until their transmissions
ceased, 7 were recorded in the Marshall Islands,
and 1 each in Nauru and the Gilbert Islands
(Kiribati); another ceased transmission in mid-air
during migration and another traveled only as far
as Lisianski, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. This
species has also been recorded from the Solomon
Islands (Scofield 1994; Dutson 2001). In view of the
relatively close proximity of the Marshalls, Gilberts,
and Solomons to Nauru, the bristle-thighed curlew
probably is a more frequent visitor to Nauru than
the records indicate.
Grey-tailed tattler (Tringa brevipes) and wandering
tattler (T. incana), non-breeding visitors. The 2
species of tattlers, T. brevipes and T. incana, are
difficult to distinguish in the field and I treat them
together. Both occur widely in Micronesia (Wiles
2005). The only records of the grey-tailed tattler (T.
brevipes) from Nauru are the 3 or 4 I identified on the
basis of their bisyllabic calls in Dec 2006 and in Apr
2007. Records of the wandering tattler (T. incana)
include 1 specimen in the Australian Museum
(reg. no. 0.12118) collected by F. D. Power and A.
E. Stevens on an unspecified date (see North 1903),
and another in the Kaiser collection in the Museum
für Naturkunde Berlin (Kaiser 1902; Frahnert &
Buden in press). Pearson (1962) recorded tattlers
(unidentified to species) as “quite common in ones
and twos…[and] with flocks of up to 20 birds on
three occasions.” I encountered them regularly on
beaches and reef flats at low tide, usually as singles,
and most of them being T. incana, based on their
calls.
Ruddy turnstone, Dugudubwa, (Arenaria interpres),
common non-breeding visitor. The ruddy turnstone
has been recorded in all previous avifaunal lists of
Nauru. Stephen (1936) and Kayser (2005) indicated
the birds arrive each year in August and September
and that they are often snared by residents, kept as
pets in cages, and used for “cock fighting” games
and whistling contests. Pearson (1962) reported
seeing up to 40 on the shore and inland, beginning
in March. I regularly saw ruddy turnstones usually
in small groups of 5-10, but more frequently in midDec than in early Apr, and with a maximum of 32
Birds of Nauru
together on 20 Dec 2006.
Sharp-tailed sandpiper (Calidris acuminata),vagrant.
One seen on the airstrip on 5 Nov 1961 is the only
record (Pearson 1962).
Brown noddy, Doquae (Anous stolidus), fairly
common to common breeding resident. Pearson
(1962) considered the brown noddy “common
everywhere,” and he estimated approximately
3,000 on the island, breeding in coconut trees, on
the shore terrace, and among the pinnacles on the
plateau. I saw A. stolidus in small numbers regularly
during my 2 visits but have no population estimates.
The bands of 6 brown noddies banded at 4 different
islands or island groups and recovered at Nauru
(Table 1) indicate the possibility of recruitment from
populations elsewhere in the Pacific.
Black noddy, Demererik (Anous minutus), fairly
common to common breeding resident. The black
noddy is encountered regularly throughout Nauru
but in fewer numbers than in the past, and I never
encountered long skeins returning to roosting sites
at dusk (or departing at dawn) as I have on atoll
islands elsewhere in Micronesia. That A. minutus
is still resident on Nauru is surprising in view of
continuous hunting pressure and loss of habitat
through mining. Recruitment from breeding
populations elsewhere in the Pacific may contribute
to sustaining this population. Among the 31 bird
bands recovered on Nauru (Table 1), 16 are from
A. minutus, and 15 of them were fledged in the
Northwest Hawaiian Islands, over 4,000 km to the
north.
Mining operations have removed most of the
large trees favored as nesting sites for this species.
Kayser (2005) stated that “the small black gulls
nest in the large eaniji trees [(Pisonia grandis)] in the
interior of the island far from the native settlements.”
He (Kayser 2005) further stated that “one sees nests
with eggs, with freshly hatched chicks, young birds
preparing to fly, and others flattering in their nests
testing their wings, all at the same time throughout
the whole year.” This forest has since been reduced
to patches, and Pisonia trees are scarce. I saw only
a few nests during my visits, but did not record
the tree species in which they were found. Pearson
(1962) recorded black noddies in the thousands,
and nesting in Calophyllum trees almost entirely on
the inland plateau.
I observed hundreds of noddy-catching stations
throughout the interior, especially along the edges
of the plateau. Each consists of a few square metres
of cleared ground around a slightly elevated
platform (e.g. box, crate or natural rock formation)
on which the catcher stands. The birds are snared in
long-handled nets as they fly by at night. In the past,
birds were drawn in by the catchers imitating their
13
calls, or by using live decoys. Now, many catchers
use taped calls played through loud speakers. I
participated in 1 such hunt with a resident on 23
Dec 2006, but only 1 bird was caught and no others
came within range. Throughout my stay on Nauru,
and particularly in the Buada Lagoon area, I often
saw men on bicycles and motor bikes at dusk who
were carrying nets and preparing to hunt. The gravel
roads throughout the interior were often littered
with the wings of noddies discarded by hunters.
Noddies are a popular food among the Naruan
community, and on 1 occasion I saw a sign posted
advertising noddies for sale. Although the birds
are caught for food, there are also occasions when
the men participate in team contests as sporting
events to see who can catch the most birds; prizes
are awarded and rivalries can at times be heated,
especially over the rights to prime station areas.
White tern, Dagigia (Gygis alba), common breeding
resident. The white tern is encountered throughout
the island, but is most numerous in the remnant
forest, particularly at the edge of the central plateau.
Pearson (1962) considered it “common everywhere,”
and he estimated a total population of 500-1,000
individuals. On 19 Dec 2006, I counted 260 in 5.7
km (45.6/km) along the western and northwestern
section of the perimeter road, which has numerous
open views of scarp forest, where many of the birds
were perched; many others doubtless were not seen,
hidden by vegetation. Extrapolation for the entire
distance of the 17 km-long road yields an estimate
of 775 birds on the coastal belt. On the plateau,
the birds are again more frequently encountered
in remnant forest along the perimeter, and with
relatively few being seen in the more recently mined
areas. I roughly estimate a population of 1,000 to
2,000 adults on Nauru. Pearson (1962) reported that
“breeding was observed at all stages” throughout
his stay. I observed pairs mating in Dec and during
Mar/Apr, and saw 1 downy young on a tree branch
on 16 Dec 2006, and Finsch (1881) was brought a
recently hatched young on 24 Jul 1880.
Sooty tern (Onychoprion fuscatus), vagrant. One
banded on Jarvis Island in 1966 and recovered on
Nauru in 1973, after having struck some object
(BBL How Obtained Code 54) is the only confirmed
record (Table 1).
White-winged tern (Chlidonias leucopterus), vagrant.
The white-winged tern breeds in temperate Eurasia
and migrates southward to South Africa and
Australia (Strange 2000). Pratt et al. (1987) recorded
it in the tropical Pacific as “an uncommon visitor
to Palau, and vagrant to the Marianas.” A whitewinged tern in breeding plumage that I saw at
Buada Lagoon on several occasions from 30 Mar
to 4 Apr 2007 is the first record for Nauru. It flew
14
Buden
Table 1 Bird band recoveries from Nauru.
Species
Banding locationab
Date Banded
Recovered
Age at banding
Brown booby
Moku Manuc
10/38
03/42
< 11 months
Johnston Atoll
07/66
12/66
< 8 months
Great frigatebird
Phoenix Islands
02/66
02/78d
?
Lesser frigatebird
Howland Island
10/64
e
03/65
flightless young
Howland Island
10/64
04/65e
flightless young
Howland Island
10/64
f
02/78
flightless young
Phoenix Islands
11/64
07/65
flightless young
Phoenix Islands
11/64
09/65
?
Sooty tern
Jarvis Island
08/66
04/73
?
Brown noddy
FFS (NWHI)
09/98
09/99
flightless young
Johnston Atoll
08/69
12/69
flightless young
Johnston Atoll
07/88
12/97
flightless young
Eniwetok Atoll
06/67
01/77f
flightless young
Phoenix Islands
11/63
11/65
flightless young
Phoenix Islands
06/73
12/75
flightless young
Kure (NWHI)
05/66
01/74
?
Midway (NWHI)
02/64
02/73
?
FFS (NWHI)
04/81
07/86
flightless young
FFS (NWHI)
06/88
02/89
flightless young
FFS (NWHI)
07/88
11/89
flightless young
FFS (NWHI)
07/93
03/94
flightless young
FFS (NWHI)
10/83
05/84
flightless young
FFS (NWHI)
03/84
06/87
flightless young
FFS (NWHI)
06/86
06/87
flightless young
FFS (NWHI)
07/80
06/81
flightless young
FFS (NWHI)
07/80
10/81
flightless young
FFS (NWHI)
06/98
09/99
flightless young
FFS (NWHI)
07/99
?g
flightless young
FFS (NWHI)
07/99
?g
flightless young
FFS (NWHI)
06/03
?
flightless young
Eniwetok Atoll
09/68
09/70
flightless young
Black noddy
f
h
a
FFS (NWHI) = French Frigate Shoals (Northwestern Hawaiian Islands).
b Distances and direction from Nauru: Moku Manu 4,700 km NE; French Frigate Shoals 4,200 km NE; Kure Atoll 3,850 km NNE; Midway Atoll 3,850 km NNE;
Jarvis Island 3,650 km E; Johnston Atoll 3,350 km NE; Phoenix Islands 2,400 km ESE; Howland Island 1,800 km E; Eniwetok Atoll 1,500 km NNW.
c An islet off the coast of Oahu, Hawaii; band recovery reported by Cooke (1943).
d Longitude for the recovery site is given as 1655 in the Bird Banding Laboratory computer files, placing it in a landless area of the Pacific far to the west of Nauru.
The correct longitude should read 1665. BBL microfilm records state that the bird was lassoed (trapped) at Anabar District, Nauru, and that the band was removed
from the dead bird on 2-6-1978 (K. Klimkiewicz, pers. comm.); no indication was given as to how long the bird may have been held in captivity, if at all, before its
death.
e Recovery record initially reported by Sibley and Clapp (1967).
f The longitude code 1655 recorded in BBL computer files probably is a misprint for 1665 (see footnote “d” above); the original letter reporting the return, or other
pertinent correspondence, has not been reexamined for confirmation.
g Band given to the author during December 2006 visit; actual date of recovery unknown.
h Band number given to the author during April 2007 visit; actual date of recovery unknown.
Birds of Nauru
in a roughly circular pattern around the perimeter
of the lagoon occasionally alighting in a tree or
perching on a post in the middle of the lagoon. This
was probably the same bird I observed at the same
location and behaving in a similar way on several
occasions in Dec 2006, but it was in winter plumage
and recorded only as an unidentified tern.
Black-naped tern (Sterna sumatrana), hypothetical.
Nauru is included among the locality records of
S. sumatrana in several recent checklists (e.g. Pratt
et al. 1987; Lepage 2007; Penhallurick 2007), but
the original source is unstated in these accounts.
Possibly they are based on Garnett’s (1984) report
that combines Gilbert Islands records with those of
Nauru. I treat reports of this species on Nauru as
hypothetical pending corroboration.
Great crested Tern (Thalasseus bergii), vagrant. This
species breeds widely in Micronesia and the tropical
South Pacific (Baker 1951; Wiles 2005) and may be
expected on Nauru, but the only confirmed record
is a specimen in the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin
that was originally recorded by Kaiser (1902) as
Sterna media (= S. bengalensis), the lesser crested tern
(see Frahnert & Buden in press).
Feral pigeon (Columba livia), introduced. I observed
feral pigeons regularly in small numbers (up to
10/day, maximum 6 together) on roadsides, roof
tops, and ruderal habitats throughout the coastal
belt, but rarely (only 2 sightings) in the interior of
the central plateau. The species was introduced to
Nauru sometime during the mid-1990s (A. Lauti
pers. comm.). Breeding is not confirmed but very
probable.
Micronesian pigeon, Tope (Ducula oceanica),
uncommon breeding resident. Pearson (1962)
considered the Micronesian pigeon (also known
as Micronesian imperial pigeon) “widespread and
common” on Nauru and estimated a population of
about 500. He recorded 1 pair nesting in a Poinciana
tree in his garden in mid-Mar, with 1 chick hatched
and fledged, and a second brood begun in the same
nest in Jun. BirdLife International (2007c) reported
that the Micronesian pigeon is now probably
extinct on Kiribati, and Nauru, and many or all of
the Marshall Islands, and cited Gibbs et al. (2001) as
a source. Many residents told me that they have not
seen the tope in many years, but that some hunters
still find them on the central plateau. I did not
encounter any Micronesian pigeons in the coastal
lowlands, but heard and saw them regularly during
walks across the plateau in Dec 2006 – usually 5-6
per day, but as many as 15 on 21 Dec, with 10-12 of
them in Ficus trees at the Topside Refugee Camp, an
area that has been off-limits to the public for several
years. They were much less vocal and detected
15
less frequently during the Mar-Apr visit. I roughly
estimate a population of 75-100, based largely on
incidental observations.
Residents indicate that tope feed on a variety of
fruits but are especially fond of Muntingia calabura.
Breeding now probably takes place mainly in the
inaccessible forest patches in the pinnacles, which
are areas of deep, steep-sided pits and trenches
with unstable footing and with scattered shrubs and
vines hindering access (D. Deireragea pers. comm.).
Four subspecies of D. oceanica are recognized
(Baker 1951): D. o. monacha (Momiyama) in Palau
and Yap, D. o. teraokai (Momiyama) in Chuuk, D.
o. townsendi (Wetmore) on Pohnpei, D. o. oceanica
(Lesson and Garnot) on Kosrae and the Ralik
Chain Islands, Marshall Islands, and D. o. ratakensis
(Takatsukasa and Yamashina) in the Radak Chain,
Marshall Islands. The subspecies on Nauru is
unknown and is apparently unrepresented by
specimens in museum collections.
Long-tailed koel or long-tailed cuckoo (Eudynamys
taitensis), non-breeding visitor. The long-tailed koel
breeds in New Zealand and spends the austral winter
among the islands of the central Pacific Ocean, from
the Bismark Archipelago and Micronesia eastward
to the Marquesas and French Polynesia, with
yearlings seemingly remaining in the wintering
grounds during their first summer (Heather &
Robertson 1996). It was unknown from Nauru at
the time Bogert (1937) prepared a complete list of
locality records for this species or when Owen (1977)
compiled his checklist. Pearson (1962) recorded it
on Ocean Island but not on Nauru. It is recorded
for Nauru in several more recent lists (e.g. Pratt
et al. 1987; Cain et al.1997; Lepage 2007), possibly
based on the Ocean Island record in Pearson (1962).
Cain et al. (1997) give the Naruan name as Derikui,
but this may be a misapplication of a variation of
the local name applied to Audubon’s shearwater
(Ederakui) for which these authors do not provide
a local name. The only definitive records of which I
am aware are one that I heard calling shortly after
sunset on 23 Dec 2006 (confirmed by a description
of the bird by an accompanying resident), and 1
that I observed at close range on 3 Apr 2007, both
on the central plateau at the edge of remnant forest.
None of the few islanders I queried could give me a
local name, but they indicated that this species was
a regular visitor to the island.
Collared
kingfisher
(Todirhamphus
chloris),
hypothetical. Pearson (1962) recorded 2 collared
kingfishers frequently seen together between Apr
and Jul 1961, but Pratt et al. (1987) regarded the
sightings as more likely being of the similar sacred
kingfisher (T. sanctus). Records of kingfisher species
on Nauru require additional corroboration.
16
Buden
Nauru reed-warbler, Itsirir (Acrocephalus rehsei),
common breeding resident, endemic. Little has
been written about the Nauru reed-warbler since
Finsch (1881) first remarked on its habits, and
which he (Finsch 1883) later described as a new
species. Finsch (1881) considered it to be “as
common as the House-Sparrow in England,” its
song being heard “everywhere.” Pearson (1962)
also considered it “abundant everywhere,” and B.
Fletcher (in BirdLife International 2007a) found it to
be “widely distributed throughout the island and
relatively common” in 1993. Habitat degradation
and loss of native forest via mining operations has
apparently had no major adverse affects on the
population. The Nauru reed-warbler appears to
thrive in regenerating scrub, thickets, and remnant
forest patches on the central plateau, as well as
in gardens, yards and ruderal areas in the coastal
zone (pers. obs.). However, my estimate of about
5,000 birds on the island is less than the 10,000 to
19,999 reported by BirdLife International (2007a),
which is presumably based on Fletcher’s 1993 data.
Acrocephalus rehsei is classified as Vulnerable in the
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species “because its
very small range leaves it susceptible to chance
events, such as cyclones and the introduction of
alien predators” (BirdLife International 2004). Rats
(Rattus tanezumi, R. exulans) and feral cats (Felis
cattus) are potential predators.
Reed-warblers were very vocal during my visit
in December, but less so during late Mar-early
Apr. Recordings of songs and calls (the first for
this species) made in Dec 2006 have been archived
in the Macauley Library, Cornell Laboratory of
Ornithology, Ithaca, New York, USA.
I did not encounter any active nests, but
counted seven disused or presumed disused nests
in Dec 2006. They consisted of cups of woven twigs
and grasses, and some with the dried remains
of Cassytha filiformis and needles of Casuarina
equisetifolia, and they were 2-8 m high in shrubs and
trees; Stephen (1936) reported this species nesting
on the ground. One resident told me of finding
a nest that contained 2 eggs early in Dec and 2
nestlings about a week later, but which was empty
several days later, possibly because of predation by
rats. Finsch (1881) mentioned obtaining eggs in Jul
1880, and the Kaiser collection contains a nest and
2 eggs (Frahnert & Buden in press). Pearson (1962)
remarked that this species may nest throughout the
year, and he recorded 2 nests each with 3 eggs, but
did not specify dates.
Finsch (1881) stated that the Nauru reed-warbler
was insectivorous and fed chiefly on dragonflies. I
did not observe A. rehsei feeding on dragonflies, but
did see reed-warblers often moving through shrubs
and among the branches of small trees, apparently
gleaning insects from foliage. Also, many were seen
sallying from a low perch to pick up a prey item on
the ground and return immediately to a perch, and
others were seen hopping along the ground in open,
sparsely vegetated areas occasionally grasping a
presumed prey item.
Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata), introduced but
extirpated or never established. This species is
included based on Pearson’s (1962) comments
regarding 4 birds introduced from Australia
apparently during the 1950s, and at least 6 being
observed several years later in 1961, but no
subsequent sightings.
DISCUSSION
Composition of the avifauna
Excluding 6 species listed as hypothetical, 28
species of birds are recorded from Nauru (Table
2); three being introductions, 1 of which (Zebra
Finch) is no longer extant. Of the 25 indigenous
species, 7 (28%) are confirmed or probable resident
breeders or former breeders. The 18 others are
passage migrants, non-breeding season residents,
vagrants and occasional visitors, and nearly all of
them are seabirds (Phaethontidae 1, Pelecanidae 1,
Sulidae 2, Fregatidae 2, Sternidae 2) and shorebirds
(Charadriidae 2, Scolopacidae 6). The Pacific reef
heron also is included in this group, though it
possibly breeds on Nauru at times, and the longtailed koel, a non-breeding season visitor from New
Zealand, is the only land bird. The only indigenous,
breeding land birds on Nauru are the Micronesian
pigeon and the endemic Nauru reed-warbler.
Hypothetical species and very doubtful records
The 6 hypothetical species include the 5 seabirds
and shorebirds for which I have been unable to
locate adequate documentation, along with a
record of a kingfisher of disputed identification
(see Pratt et al. 1987). All 6 may be expected to occur
on Nauru at times but are treated as hypothetical
pending corroboration or verification of the records.
Hambruch’s (1914, 1915) Nauru bird lists uniquely
include a rail (ralle), honeyeater (honisauger),
and flycatcher (fliegenschnäpper) in the genus
Rhipidura. Hambruch was an ethnographer, not
a biologist, and his chief source of information
on Nauru birds was someone named Auuiyeda.
Possibly Hambruch misinterpreted some of what he
was told and misapplied names to birds described
to him. Kayser (1917-1918 fide Dobbin and Hezel
1996) wrote a scathing review of Hambruch’s work
criticizing his knowledge of the local language.
The possibility of a rail having been on Nauru is
of interest, but these 3 records (rail, honeyeater,
Rhipidura sp.) are questionable and are mentioned
here only in passing. Similarly, magpies, snipe,
and quail are mentioned in “The Island of Nauru
Birds of Nauru
Table 2 Status of birds recorded on Nauru.
Puffinus lherminieri
[Phaethon rubricauda
Phaethon lepturus
FB? / E?
Hyp]
(B) / UC?
Pelecanus conspicillatus
V
Sula sula
V
Sula leucogaster
NBV? / S-UC
Fregata minor
NBV / S-UC
Fregata ariel
NBV / FC
Egretta sacra
NBV? / S
Gallus gallus
I/C
Pluvialis fulva
NBV / C
Pluvialis squatarola
V
[Charadrius mongolus
Hyp]
[Charadrius leschenaultii
Hyp]
[Limosa lapponica
Numenius phaeopus
Numenius tahitiensis
Tringa brevipes
Tringa incana
Hyp]
NBV / ?
NBV / ?
NBV / UC-FC?
NBV / FC-C?
Arenaria interpres
NBV / C
Calidris acuminata
V
Anous stolidus
B / FC-C
Anous minutus
B/C
Gygis alba
B/C
Onychoprion fuscatus
V
Chlidonias leucopterus
V
[Sterna sumatrana
Thalasseus bergii
Columba livia
Ducula oceanica
Eudynamys taitensis
Hyp]
V
I / FC
B / UC
NBV / UC
[Todirhamphus chloris
Hyp]
Acrocephalus rehsei
B/C
Taeniopygia guttata
I/E
a B = resident year-round, breeding confirmed, (B) = resident year-
round breeding not confirmed but very probable, FB = former
breeder, [Hyp] = hypothetical, I = introduced and feral, NBV =
nonbreeding visitor, V = vagrant; C= common, FC = fairly common,
UC = uncommon, S = scarce
Wild Birds Preservation Ordinance 1937” (accessed
online at http://www.paclii.org/nr/legis/num_act/
wbpo193715), but to what taxa these names refer is
uncertain. Additionally, several resident Naruans
17
told me of kookaburras (Dacelo novaguineae) and
budgies (Melopsittacus undulatus) that were brought
to Nauru and released by expatriate mining staff
when they left the island; none has been seen
recently.
Bird band recovery data
Thirty-one bird band recoveries are reported for
Nauru (Table 1), with many of the birds originating
from remote islands of the Pacific visited by the
Pacific Ocean Biological Survey Program (POBSP)
of the 1960s, when “over 400,000 birds were banded
by 1965, and a further 750,000 by 1968” (MacLeod
2001). The high incidence of black noddies among
the Nauru recoveries (16 = 52%) doubtless is a
reflection of the widespread practice of noddycatching, an important island tradition (see species
account). Many other bands (presumably also
mainly black noddies) apparently were recovered
on Nauru but never reported; several islanders told
me of necklaces, bracelets, and earrings fashioned of
bird bands that have since been lost. To what extent
any of these arrivals from distant breeding grounds
are recruited into the local breeding population
is unknown. Responses to queries submitted to
bird banding agencies in New Zealand, Australia,
Russia, and Japan revealed no Nauru recoveries of
birds banded in their respective countries.
Conservation issues
Because of the very small size of Nauru, the
avifauna is especially vulnerable to environmental
threats such as storms, droughts, hunting pressure,
and anthropogenic habitat degradation. Of the
2 species of land birds, the Nauru reed-warbler
has fared remarkably well in light of the marked
habitat changes wrought by mining operations. It is
seemingly able to adapt to a wide variety of habitats
and is not averse to close proximity to human
habitation. It is as common in yards and vacant lots
in settled and semi-urban areas as it is in remote and
uninhabited parts of the island. The Micronesian
pigeon, on the other hand, has declined in
numbers over the years, at least based on anecdotal
information provided by local residents, many of
whom claim not to have seen a tope in many years.
But these are people who do not generally visit the
central plateau, where there is a small, but viable
population of Ducula oceanica probably breeding
unmolested in the more inaccessible areas of the
pinnacles. The birds continue to be hunted along
roads and trails that traverse much of the interior.
I was told that just prior to my arrival in Mar 2007,
1 hunter shot several birds but could not retrieve
them as they fell into the pinnacles. Firearms have
been banned on Nauru but some people still have
shotguns or pellet guns with which they hunt the
tope. The reed-warbler is listed as protected in the
18
Buden
Wild Birds Preservation Ordinance 1937 (though it
is not hunted), but the Micronesian pigeon is not.
A second stage of phosphate mining to recover
deposits left behind during the first stage is underway
and will doubtless diminish available woodland
habitats and deplete wildlife resources further.
But restoration for “the gradual transformation of
Nauru’s wasteland back to tropical island” over the
next 20 years is also planned (Radio Australia 2007).
Although habitat restoration may bring the land
closer to its original state, it will also likely increase
hunter access into now nearly inaccessible areas.
Only more rigid enforcement of wildlife protection
laws than is now practiced can ensure the protection
of local game birds and other wildlife resources.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
For providing information on records of birds from
Nauru I thank Walter Boles, Cordula Bracker, Roger
Clapp, Sylke Frahnert, Stephen Garnett, David James,
Robert Prys-Jones, Fred Sibley, and Jaynayia Tarnawski.
I thank Danny Bystrak and Kathy Klimkiewicz for
providing bird band recovery records from Nauru in the
Bird Banding Laboratory database. I also thank David
Drynan (Australian Bird & Bat Banding Scheme), Mala
Nasaratnam (Banding Office, New Zealand Department of
Conservation), Sergei Kharitonov (Bird Ringing Center of
Russia), and Yoshimitsu Shigeta (Bird Migration Research
Center, Yamashina Institute for Ornithology, Japan) for
responding to queries regarding recoveries in Nauru
of birds banded in their respective countries. I thank
David Steadman and Ian McAllan for their comments on
an earlier draft of the manuscript and McAllan also for
providing literature sources of pertinent records from the
Solomon Islands. Appreciation is also extended to Brian
Gill, S. Frahnert, Bruce Robert, Karen Peacock, and Mary
Sears for assistance with bibliographic searches, and to Pia
Kauffman for translations of several German references.
I am especially grateful to Alamanda Lauti, Director of
the University of the South Pacific Nauru campus for
her attention to a variety of logistical matters relating to
travel, accommodation, and permits during both of my
visits to Nauru, and I thank Dale Deireragea for sharing
his knowledge of the island and for his assistance in the
field.
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